In a tragic series of events that shook the small southern Idaho communities of Cassia and Minidoka counties, 77-year-old Dennis Mix, a White/Caucasian male from the Burley-Heyburn area, was found deceased on July 8, 2025. His death was part of a violent rampage that left three other individuals dead and a community searching for answers. The discovery of Mix's body, located in a Ford Expedition behind a business in Heyburn, marked the final chapter in a day of violence that had already claimed the lives of a married couple in their Burley home and a woman in Rupert.
The grim day began to unfold when authorities were first called to a residence in Rupert, where they found 35-year-old Angelica Medina deceased. Hours later, the investigation led them to the Burley home of 66-year-old Kelly Jenks and his 62-year-old wife, Donna Jenks, both of whom had been fatally shot. As law enforcement worked to piece together the horrific events, their investigation pointed them to a single suspect. Following a traffic stop late on the night of July 8, police arrested 56-year-old Benjamin Roy Naylor of Burley.
Following Naylor's arrest, investigators were directed to the location in Heyburn where they discovered Dennis Mix's body. An investigation revealed that Mix had been shot to death. While his body was found on July 8, it is believed he may have been killed sometime between July 3 and July 8. The motive for the string of killings remains unclear, though Naylor's family has since stated that he had a long history of severe mental illness.
Benjamin Roy Naylor has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Dennis Mix, Angelica Medina, and Kelly and Donna Jenks. He was taken into custody without incident and is being held without bond. The communities of Burley, Heyburn, and Rupert have been left to mourn the four lives lost in this senseless act of violence.
